Data collection m.com final

Unit – 3: Data Collection
[Research Methodology, M.Com 3rd Semester]
The task of data collection begins after a research problem has been defined and research
design/ plan chalked out. While deciding about the method of data collection to be used for
the study, the researcher should keep in mind two types of data viz., primary and secondary.

The primary data are those which are collected afresh and for the first time, and thus happen
to be original in character. The secondary data, on the other hand, are those which have
already been collected by someone else and which have already been passed through the
statistical process. The researcher would have to decide which sort of data he would be using
(thus collecting) for his study and accordingly he will have to select one or the other method
of data collection. The methods of collecting primary and secondary data differ since primary
data are to be originally collected, while in case of secondary data the nature of data
collection work is merely that of compilation. We describe the different methods of data
collection, with the pros and cons of each method.

COLLECTION OF PRIMARY DATA

We collect primary data during the course of doing experiments in an experimental research
but in case we do research of the descriptive type and perform surveys, whether sample
surveys or census surveys, then we can obtain primary data either through observation or
through direct communication with respondents in one form or another or through personal
interviews.* This, in other words, means that there are several methods of collecting primary
data, particularly in surveys and descriptive researches. Important ones are: (i) observation
method, (ii) interview method, (iii) through questionnaires, (iv) through schedules, and (v)
other methods which include (a) warranty cards; (b) distributor audits; (c) pantry audits; (d)
consumer panels; (e) using mechanical devices; (f) through projective techniques; (g) depth
interviews, and (h) content analysis.

Interview Method
The interview method of collecting data involves presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and reply
in terms of oral-verbal responses. This method can be used through personal interviews and,
if possible, through telephone interviews.

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
Personal interview method requires a person known as the interviewer asking questions
generally in a face-to-face contact to the other person or persons. (At times the interviewee
may also ask certain questions and the interviewer responds to these, but usually the
interviewer initiates the interview and collects the information.)

This sort of interview may be in the form of direct personal investigation or it may be indirect
oral investigation. In the case of direct personal investigation the interviewer has to collect
the information personally from the sources concerned. He has to be on the spot and has to
meet people from whom data have to be collected.
The method of collecting information through personal interviews is usually carried out in a
structured way. As such we call the interviews as structured interviews. Such interviews
involve the use of a set of predetermined questions and of highly standardised techniques of
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recording. Thus, the interviewer in a structured interview follows a rigid procedure laid down,
asking questions in a form and order prescribed.

As against it, the unstructured interviews are characterised by a flexibility of approach to
questioning. Unstructured interviews do not follow a system of pre-determined questions and
standardised techniques of recording information. In a non-structured interview, the
interviewer is allowed much greater freedom to ask, in case of need, supplementary
questions or at times he may omit certain questions if the situation so requires. He may even
change the sequence of questions. He has relatively greater freedom while recording the
responses to include some aspects and exclude others. But this sort of flexibility results in
lack of comparability of one interview with another and the analysis of unstructured
responses becomes much more difficult and time-consuming than that of the structured
responses obtained in case of structured interviews. Unstructured interviews also demand
deep knowledge and greater skill on the part of the interviewer.

Advantages of Personal Interview

The chief merits of the interview method are as follows:

1. More information and that too in greater depth can be obtained.
2. Interviewer by his own skill can overcome the resistance, if any, of the respondents;
the interview method can be made to yield an almost perfect sample of the general
population.
3. There is greater flexibility under this method as the opportunity to restructure
questions is always there, specially in case of unstructured interviews.
4. Observation method can as well be applied to recording verbal answers to various
questions.
5. Personal information can as well be obtained easily under this method.
6. Samples can be controlled more effectively as there arises no difficulty of the missing
returns; non-response generally remains very low.
7. The interviewer can usually control which person(s) will answer the questions. This is
not possible in mailed questionnaire approach. If so desired, group discussions may
also be held.
8. The interviewer may catch the informant off-guard and thus may secure the most
spontaneous reactions than would be the case if mailed questionnaire is used.
9. The language of the interview can be adopted to the ability or educational level of the
person interviewed and as such misinterpretations concerning questions can be
avoided.
10. The interviewer can collect supplementary information about the respondent’s
personal characteristics and environment which is often of great value in interpreting
results.


Limitations of Personal Interview
But there are also certain weaknesses of the interview method. Among the important
weaknesses, mention may be made of the following:
1) It is a very expensive method, specially when large and widely spread geographical
sample is taken.
2) There remains the possibility of the bias of interviewer as well as that of the
respondent; there also remains the headache of supervision and control of
interviewers.
3) Certain types of respondents such as important officials or executives or people in high
income groups may not be easily approachable under this method and to that extent
the data may prove inadequate.
4) This method is relatively more-time-consuming, specially when the sample is large and
recalls upon the respondents are necessary.
5) The presence of the interviewer on the spot may over-stimulate the respondent,
sometimes even to the extent that he may give imaginary information just to make the
interview interesting.
6) Under the interview method the organisation required for selecting, training and
supervising the field-staff is more complex with formidable problems.
7) Interviewing at times may also introduce systematic errors.
8) Effective interview presupposes proper rapport with respondents that would facilitate
free and frank responses. This is often a very difficult requirement.

Pre-Requisites and Basic Tenets of Interviewing

 For successful implementation of the interview method, interviewers should be
carefully selected, trained and briefed. They should be honest, sincere, hardworking,
impartial and must possess the technical competence and necessary practical
experience.
 Occasional field checks should be made to ensure that interviewers are neither
cheating, nor deviating from instructions given to them for performing their job
efficiently.
 In addition, some provision should also be made in advance so that appropriate action
may be taken if some of the selected respondents refuse to cooperate or are not
available when an interviewer calls upon them.
 In fact, interviewing is an art governed by certain scientific principles. Every effort
should be made to create friendly atmosphere of trust and confidence, so that
respondents may feel at ease while talking to and discussing with the interviewer.
 The interviewer must ask questions properly and intelligently and must record the
responses accurately and completely. At the same time, the interviewer must answer
legitimate question(s), if any, asked by the respondent and must clear any doubt that
the latter has.
 The interviewers approach must be friendly, courteous, conversational and unbiased.

 The interviewer should not show surprise or disapproval of a respondent’s answer but
he must keep the direction of interview in his own hand, discouraging irrelevant
conversation and must make all possible effort to keep the respondent on the track.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS:
This method of collecting information consists in contacting respondents on telephone itself.
It is not a very widely used method, but plays important part in industrial surveys,
particularly in developed regions.

Merits
The chief merits of such a system are:
1) It is more flexible in comparison to mailing method.
2) It is faster than other methods i.e., a quick way of obtaining information.
3) It is cheaper than personal interviewing method; here the cost per response is
relatively low.
4) Recall is easy; callbacks are simple and economical.
5) There is a higher rate of response than what we have in mailing method; the non-
response is generally very low.
6) Replies can be recorded without causing embarrassment to respondents.
7) Interviewer can explain requirements more easily.
8) At times, access can be gained to respondents who otherwise cannot be contacted for
one reason or the other.
9) No field staff is required.
10) Representative and wider distribution of sample is possible.

Demerits
This system of collecting information is not free from demerits. Some of these may be
highlighted.

1) Little time is given to respondents for considered answers; interview period is not likely
to exceed five minutes in most cases.
2) Surveys are restricted to respondents who have telephone facilities.
3) Extensive geographical coverage may get restricted by cost considerations.
4) It is not suitable for intensive surveys where comprehensive answers are required to
various questions.
5) Possibility of the bias of the interviewer is relatively more.
6) Questions have to be short and to the point; probes are difficult to handle.


COLLECTION OF DATA THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES

This method of data collection is quite popular, particularly in case of big enquiries. It is
being adopted by private individuals, research workers, private and public organisations and
even by governments.

In this method a questionnaire is sent (usually by post) to the persons concerned with a
request to answer the questions and return the questionnaire. A questionnaire consists of a
number of questions printed or typed in a definite order on a form or set of forms. The
questionnaire is mailed to respondents who are expected to read and understand the
questions and write down the reply in the space meant for the purpose in the questionnaire
itself. The respondents have to answer the questions on their own.

The method of collecting data by mailing the questionnaires to respondents is most
extensively employed in various economic and business surveys.

Merits
The merits claimed on behalf of this method are as follows:
1) There is low cost even when the universe is large and is widely spread geographically.
2) It is free from the bias of the interviewer; answers are in respondents’ own words.
3) Respondents have adequate time to give well thought out answers.
4) Respondents, who are not easily approachable, can also be reached conveniently.
5) Large samples can be made use of and thus the results can be made more dependable
and reliable.

Demerits
The main demerits of this system can also be listed here:
1) Low rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires; bias due to no-response is often
indeterminate.
2) It can be used only when respondents are educated and cooperating.
3) The control over questionnaire may be lost once it is sent.
4) There is inbuilt inflexibility because of the difficulty of amending the approach once
questionnaires have been despatched.
5) There is also the possibility of ambiguous replies or omission of replies altogether to
certain questions; interpretation of omissions is difficult.
6) It is difficult to know whether willing respondents are truly representative.
7) This method is likely to be the slowest of all.

Before using this method, it is always advisable to conduct ‘pilot study’ (Pilot Survey) for
testing the questionnaires. In a big enquiry the significance of pilot survey is felt very much.
Pilot survey is infact the replica and rehearsal of the main survey. Such a survey, being
conducted by experts, brings to the light the weaknesses (if any) of the questionnaires and


also of the survey techniques. From the experience gained in this way, improvement can be
effected.

Main Aspects of a Questionnaire

Quite often questionnaire is considered as the heart of a survey operation. Hence it should
be very carefully constructed. If it is not properly set up, then the survey is bound to fail.
This fact requires us to study the main aspects of a questionnaire viz., the general form,
question sequence and question formulation and wording. Researcher should note the
following with regard to these three main aspects of a questionnaire:

1. General form:
So far as the general form of a questionnaire is concerned, it can either be structured or
unstructured questionnaire. Structured questionnaires are those questionnaires in which
there are definite, concrete and pre-determined questions. The questions are presented with
exactly the same wording and in the same order to all respondents. Resort is taken to this
sort of standardization to ensure that all respondents reply to the same set of questions.

The form of the question may be either closed (i.e., of the type ‘yes’ or ‘no’) or open (i.e.,
inviting free response) but should be stated in advance and not constructed during
questioning. Structured questionnaires may also have fixed alternative questions in which
responses of the informants are limited to the stated alternatives. Thus a highly structured
questionnaire is one in which all questions and answers are specified and comments n the
respondent’s own words are held to the minimum.

When these characteristics are not present in a questionnaire, it can be termed as
unstructured or non-structured questionnaire. More specifically, we can say that in an
unstructured questionnaire, the interviewer is provided with a general guide on the type of
information to be obtained, but the exact question formulation is largely his own
responsibility and the replies are to be taken down in the respondent’s own words to the
extent possible; in some situations tape recorders may be used to achieve this goal.

2. Question sequence:
In order to make the questionnaire effective and to ensure quality to the replies received, a
researcher should pay attention to the question-sequence in preparing the questionnaire. A
proper sequence of questions reduces considerably the chances of individual questions being
misunderstood.

The question-sequence must be clear and smoothly-moving, meaning thereby that the
relation of one question to another should be readily apparent to the respondent, with
questions that are easiest to answer being put in the beginning. The first few questions are
particularly important because they are likely to influence the attitude of the respondent and
in seeking his desired cooperation. The opening questions should be such as to arouse
human interest. The following type of questions should generally be avoided as opening
questions in a questionnaire:
1. questions that put too great a strain on the memory or intellect of the respondent;

2. questions of a personal character;
3. questions related to personal wealth, etc.

3. Question formulation and wording:
With regard to this aspect of questionnaire, the researcher should note that each question
must be very clear for any sort of misunderstanding can do irreparable harm to a survey.
Question should also be impartial in order not to give a biased picture of the true state of
affairs. Questions should be constructed with a view to their forming a logical part of a well
thought out tabulation plan.
In general, all questions should meet the following standards—
(a) should be easily understood;
(b) should be simple i.e., should convey only one thought at a time;
(c) should be concrete and should conform as much as possible to the respondent’s
way of thinking.
For instance, instead of asking. “How many razor blades do you use annually?” The more
realistic question would be to ask, “How many razor blades did you use last week?”

Essentials of a good questionnaire
To be successful, questionnaire should be comparatively short and simple i.e., the size of the
questionnaire should be kept to the minimum.
 Questions should proceed in logical sequence moving from easy to more difficult
questions.
 Personal and intimate questions should be left to the end.
 Technical terms and vague expressions capable of different interpretations should be
avoided in a questionnaire.
 Questions may be dichotomous (yes or no answers), multiple choice (alternative
answers listed) or open-ended.
 The latter type of questions are often difficult to analyse and hence should be avoided
in a questionnaire to the extent possible.
 There should be some control questions in the questionnaire which indicate the
reliability of the respondent.
 Questions affecting the sentiments of respondents should be avoided.
 Adequate space for answers should be provided in the questionnaire to help editing
and tabulation.
 There should always be provision for indications of uncertainty, e.g., “do not know,”
“no preference” and so on.
 Brief directions with regard to filling up the questionnaire should invariably be given in
the questionnaire itself.
 Finally, the physical appearance of the questionnaire affects the cooperation the
researcher receives from the recipients and as such an attractive looking
questionnaire, particularly in mail surveys, is a plus point for enlisting cooperation.
 The quality of the paper, along with its colour, must be good so that it may attract the
attention of recipients.



Collection of Data Through Schedules
 This method of data collection is very much like the collection of data through
questionnaire, with little difference which lies in the fact that schedules (proforma
containing a set of questions) are being filled in by the enumerators who are specially
appointed for the purpose.
 These enumerators along with schedules, go to respondents, put to them the questions
from the proforma in the order the questions are listed and record the replies in the
space meant for the same in the proforma.
 In certain situations, schedules may be handed over to respondents and enumerators
may help them in recording their answers to various questions in the said schedules.
Enumerators explain the aims and objects of the investigation and also remove the
difficulties which any respondent may feel in understanding the implications of a
particular question or the definition or concept of difficult terms.
 This method requires the selection of enumerators for filling up schedules or assisting
respondents to fill up schedules and as such enumerators should be very carefully
selected.
 The enumerators should be trained to perform their job well and the nature and scope
of the investigation should be explained to them thoroughly so that they may well
understand the implications of different questions put in the schedule.
 Enumerators should be intelligent and must possess the capacity of cross examination
in order to find out the truth. Above all, they should be honest, sincere, hardworking
and should have patience and perseverance.
 This method of data collection is very useful in extensive enquiries and can lead to
fairly reliable results.
 It is, however, very expensive and is usually adopted in investigations conducted by
governmental agencies or by some big organisations.
 Population census all over the world is conducted through this method.

Difference Between Questionnaires And Schedules
Both questionnaire and schedule are popularly used methods of collecting data in research
surveys. There is much resemblance in the nature of these two methods and this fact has
made many people to remark that from a practical point of view, the two methods can be
taken to be the same. But from the technical point of view there is difference between the
two. The important points of difference are as under:
Questionnaire Schedule
The questionnaire is generally sent through The schedule is generally filled out by the
mail to informants to be answered as research worker or the enumerator, who
specified in a covering letter, but otherwise can interpret questions when necessary.
without further assistance from the sender.



To collect data through questionnaire is To collect data through schedules is
relatively cheap and economical since we relatively more expensive since
have to spend money only in preparing the considerable amount of money has to be
questionnaire and in mailing the same to spent in appointing enumerators and in
respondents. Here no field staff required. importing training to them. Money is also
spent in preparing schedules.
Non-response is usually high in case of Non-response is generally very low in case
questionnaire as many people do not of schedules because these are filled by
respond and many return the questionnaire enumerators who are able to get answers
without answering all questions. Bias due to to all questions. But there remains the
non-response often remains indeterminate. danger of interviewer bias and cheating.
In case of questionnaire, it is not always In case of schedule the identity of
clear as to who replies. respondent is known.
The questionnaire method is likely to be very In case of schedules the information is
slow since many respondents do not return collected well in time as they are filled in
the questionnaire in time despite several by enumerators.
reminders.
Personal contact is generally not possible in But in case of schedules direct personal
case of the questionnaire method as contact is established with respondents.
questionnaires are sent to respondents by
post who also in turn return the same by
post.
Questionnaire method can be used only In case of schedules the information can
when respondents are literate and be gathered even when the respondents
cooperative. happen to be illiterate.
Wider and more representative distribution In respect of schedules there usually
of sample is possible under the remains the difficulty in sending
questionnaire enumerators over a relatively wider area.
Method.
Risk of collecting incomplete and wrong In case of schedules, the information
information is relatively more under the collected is generally complete and
questionnaire method, particularly when accurate as enumerators can remove the
people are unable to understand questions difficulties, if any, faced by respondents in
properly. correctly understanding the questions. As
a result, the information collected through
schedules is relatively more accurate than
that obtained through questionnaires.
The success of questionnaire method lies In the case of schedules, success much
more on the quality of the questionnaire depends upon the honesty and
itself. competence of enumerators.
In order to attract the attention of The physical appearance of questionnaire
respondents, the physical appearance of must not be attractive in case of schedules
questionnaire must be quite attractive. as they are to be filled in by enumerators
and not by respondents.


COLLECTION OF SECONDARY DATA

Secondary data means data that are already available i.e., they refer to the data which have
already been collected and analysed by someone else. When the researcher utilises
secondary data, then he has to look into various sources from where he can obtain them. In
this case he is certainly not confronted with the problems that are usually associated with
the collection of original data. Secondary data may either be published data or unpublished
data.

Usually published data are available in:
 various publications of the central, state are local governments;
 various publications of foreign governments or of international bodies and their
subsidiary organisations; technical and tradejournals;
 books, magazines and newspapers;
 reports and publications of various associations connected with business and
industry, banks, stock exchanges, etc.;
 reports prepared by research scholars, universities, economists, etc. in different fields;
and
 public records and statistics, historical documents, and other sources of published
information.
 The sources of unpublished data are many; they may be found in diaries, letters,
unpublished biographies and autobiographies and also may be available with scholars
and research workers, trade associations, labour bureaus and other public/ private
individuals and organisations.

Researcher must be very careful in using secondary data. He must make a minute scrutiny
because it is just possible that the secondary data may be unsuitable or may be inadequate
in the context of the problem which the researcher wants to study. In this connection Dr.
A.L. Bowley very aptly observes that it is never safe to take published statistics at their face
value without knowing their meaning and limitations and it is always necessary to criticise
arguments that can be based on them.

By way of caution, the researcher, before using secondary data, must see that they possess
following characteristics:

i. Reliability of data:
The reliability can be tested by finding out such things about the said data: (a) Who
collected the data? (b) What were the sources of data? (c) Were they collected by using
proper methods (d) At what time were they collected?(e) Was there any bias of the
compiler? (t) What level of accuracy was desired? Was it achieved ?

ii. Suitability of data:
The data that are suitable for one enquiry may not necessarily be found suitable in
another enquiry. Hence, if the available data are found to be unsuitable, they should
not be used by the researcher. In this context, the researcher must very carefully
scrutinise the definition of various terms and units of collection used at the time of

collecting the data from the primary source originally. Similarly, the object, scope and
nature of the original enquiry must also be studied. If the researcher finds differences
in these, the data will remain unsuitable for the present enquiry and should not be
used.

iii. Adequacy of data:
If the level of accuracy achieved in data is found inadequate for the purpose of the
present enquiry, they will be considered as inadequate and should not be used by the
researcher. The data will also be considered inadequate, if they are related to an area
which may be either narrower or wider than the area of the present enquiry.

From all this we can say that it is very risky to use the already available data. The already
available data should be used by the researcher only when he finds them reliable, suitable
and adequate. But he should not blindly discard the use of such data if they are readily
available from authentic sources and are also suitable and adequate for in that case it will
not be economical to spend time and energy in field surveys for collecting information. At
times, there may be wealth of usable information in the already available data which must be
used by an intelligent researcher but with due precaution.

Advantages of Secondary Data

The following are the chief merits of secondary data:
1. Economical/Less Costly
A major advantage of secondary data is that it is far more economical as the cost of
collecting original data is saved. In the collection of primary data, a good deal of effort
is required, like filling of questionnaire, classification, tabulation etc. But these efforts
are not required in collection of secondary data
2. Saves Time
Secondary data saves much time of the researcher. This leads to prompt completion of
the research project.
3. Identify the Research Problem
The review of secondary data helps to properly and correctly identify the research
problem. Example, Researcher goes for intense literature review which is a secondary
data, to formulate the research problem.
4. Improved Understanding of Research Problem
Secondary Data not only helps in formulating research problem, but it may also help
in understanding and interpreting the research problem deeply and clearly.
5. Formulate an appropriate Research Design
Past researches can be taken as a base for the current research and the guidelines can
be taken from it which will help the research to formulate an appropriate research
design.
6. Answer Certain Research Question
Past data can answer certain basic research questions of the researchers, which will
make his base clear for the forthcoming research.
7. Helps in Formulating Hypothesis


Secondary data can be used for formulating the current hypothesis of the research
project. It will also guide for use of proper tools to be used to test the hypothesis.
8. Framing Sample Size and Collecting Primary Data
Secondary data is useful in framing primary data collection programme, as well as
framing the sample or determining the sizes of sample.
9. Compared with Primary Data
Primary data and secondary data can be compared to test the reliability of the primary
data. Data becomes reliable and fit to use after being compared with secondary data.
10. Useful for Conclusive research
Secondary data is useful for compression purposes in conclusive research.

Limitations of Secondary Data
The following are the major limitations of secondary data
1. Difference in Unit of Expression
The unit in which secondary data are expressed may not be same as is required in the
research project. For Example, the size of the firm can be expressed in number of
employees, paid up capital, gross sales, gross and net profit. It is just possible that the
unit of measurement used in secondary data is different from the one needed in the
research project. In such a case, secondary data cannot be used.
2. Difference of Class Boundaries
Even if the units are expressed in the same units as that required by the research
projects, it may just be the case that class boundaries are different from those desired.
For example the monthly income of households may have a break up of (i) Less than 5
Lakhs, (ii) 5 – 10 Lakhs, (iii) 10 – 15 Lakhs, (iv) 15 Lakhs and above so far as
secondary data are concerned. If the researcher wants to find out number of
households with an income of 18 Lakhs or similar figure, he will be at a loss with such
secondary data.
3. Inappropriate Method Used
The secondary data may be collected, classified or tabulated wrongly or the tools used
may not be appropriate.
4. Less Accurate
One does not always know how accurate the secondary data are. In case the degree of
inaccuracy is high, the use of such dubious data would undermine the utility of a
research study.
5. Out Dated
A severe limitation in the use of secondary data is that they may be somewhat out-of-
date. A good deal of time is spent in collection, processing, tabulation and publishing
of such data and by the time the data are available to the researcher, they are already
two or three years old. As a result the data are no longer up-to-the-date.
6. Needs Caution While Use
The secondary data is collected by someone else for some other objectives. Thus, while
using secondary data, its fitness for use must be verified and then it must be used
carefully.


7. It May Be Irrelevant
The secondary data used may not be related at all to the current research project and
the results of the current research due to use of such data may be misleading.
8. It May Not Be Qualitative
The secondary data may lack quality. It may be improper to use such data which is not
qualitative.
9. Unreliable/Undependable
The secondary data may be unreliable in the sense that a researcher should not blindly
rely/depend on such data only, or else the results of research may be disastrous.

Classification of Secondary Data
The secondary data may be classified either as, Published or unpublished data and Internal
or External Secondary data.

A) Published or Unpublished Data

1. Published Data or External Data
There are a number of national and international organizations which collect and
publish statistical data in their reports. Some of popular organizations are: Central
Statistical Organization (CSO), National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO),
Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), United Nation
Organization (UNO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) etc.
In addition to that published data can also be taken from various Annual reports of
companies, books, magazines, journals, periodicals, newspapers, etc

2. Unpublished Data or Internal Data
All secondary data may not be published. A major source of data is produced by
government, semi-government, public and private sector organizations are based on
the data drawn from internal records. This data is based on internal records provides
authentic data and is much cheaper as compared to primary data. Some examples of
internal records includes employees’ payroll, the amount of raw materials, cash book
etc. it may be noted that unpublished and internal data are very difficult to obtain.

Sources of Secondary Data
Secondary data can be obtained internally, i.e within the firm; or externally. i.e from one or
more outside agencies.

1. Internal Sources of Secondary Data
Internal sources can be classified in following four broad categories:


 Accounting Records: Accounting Records like Annual Reports, Sales, Invoices,
Name and Address of customers etc can be used for a detailed analysis. Compared
with the corresponding data on costs, it can indicate the level of profits or loss for
each product.
 Sales Force Reports: This source can provide a very useful marketing information
but home how it is not used popularly. This is because sales force may not give
detailed report.
 Executive/Expert Reports: Experts working in the company can be good source of
internal data. Executives working as finance, marketing, production managers etc
have specialized knowledge.
 Miscellaneous Reports: Any other surveys done by the company earlier, audit
report, corporate governance report etc may be used for collection of secondary
data.

2. External Sources of Secondary Data
 The external secondary data do not originate in the firm and are obtained from the
outside agencies or sources.
 It may be noted that secondary data can be collected from the originating darta or
from secondary sources.
 External sources of data are many and are discussed in detail in forthcoming
discussions.

3. Government Publications
A large bulk of secondary data useful to a researcher is found in the form of various
government reports. The following is a glimpse of Government publications:

 Registrar General of India conducts population census throughout the country
every 10 years and brings out demographic data in voluminous reports.
 Central Statistical Organization (CSO) brings out statistics of National Income. It
also publishes estimates of saving, investment, capital formation, agriculture,
Industry, trade etc.
 The Director General of Commercial Intelligence, Government of India, brings out
monthly statistics of the foreign trade in India.
 The Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce and Industry published the Wholesale
Price Index Numbers, an important data for decision making.
 The National Sample Survey Organization was also set up by Government of India
to collect data on social, demographic, industrial and agricultural statistics. The
NSSO conducts multipurpose socio-economic surveys in India and publishes its
data.
 Some other official publications include:


o Basic statistics relating to Indian Economy published by Planning
Commission.
o Reserve Bank of India Bulletin
o Currency and Finance Report of RBI
o The Economic Survey, by the Department of Exconomic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance.
o Agricultural Situation in India, Ministry of Agriculture.
o The Indian Labour Journal, Labour Bureau.

4. Non-Government Publications
There are a number of other agencies which regularly publish secondary data. A few of
them have been listed below:

 Indian Cotton Mills Federation brings out statistics on cotton textile industry.
 BSE and NSE Directory contains information on financial accounts, key
profitability and other data of listed joint stock companies.
 FICCI, Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India etc brings out
memoranda dealing with a specific industry and its problems.
 Agencies like Cottage Industry Board, Tea Board, and Handicraft Board etc provide
specific information in respect of their own product categories.

5. Syndicated services
Syndicated services are provided by certain organizations, which collect and tabulate
information on a continuing basis. Reports are based on information collected by such
organizations and are sent periodically to clients or subscribers. Syndicated services
are normally designed to suit the requirements of many individuals or firms.

6. Publications of International Organizations
Some international agencies which provide valuable statistical data on a variety of
socio-economic problems and political events are:

 United Nations Organizations (UNO)
 World Health Organization (WHO)
 International Labour Organization (ILO)
 International Monetary Fund (IMF)
 World Bank
 UNESCO
 UNICEF
 World Trade Organization (WTO)


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